Ever since the summer of 2022, I have been creating these small abstract works, just for fun. It’s nice to do something non-commercial and just let my mind wander free. I usually work on paper either in gouache or acrylic. Sometimes I go in with pencil and enjoy the process of mark making and bringing out the textures. This is a sampling of some of some bits from the pieces I’ve created.
get out of that (color) comfort zone!
I decides to commit to Este Macleod’s year long “Coloricombo” challenge. I wasn’t sure how much I could really take on this winter, but it really has proven to be a worthwhile endeavor. I usually stick with the same colors—especially for book projects. And once a week is completely doable. I have enjoyed pushing myself creatively. I post these to my Instagram each week. (illustrationlombardi)
January days...
How do you sum up January? Well, for me it is a welcomed break from the chaos of the holidays. As much as I love seeing everyone and celebrating, I find myself missing solitude and creating. I love to get up super early and watch the sun rise. I’ve been working long hours lately, so I often watch the sun set as well! But I enjoy what I do so much and this is that special time in a book project where i can obsess over details such as color palettes and composition. I’ve been working out visual solutions in my sketchbook, as well as doing some location scouting for some of the scenes in the book. More news on this to come!
Boo continues to be her charming self and typically spends the first two hours of the day staring at me and waiting for treats. She never gives up.
I was sad to see that Sidney Poitier had passed this month. I only recently saw “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” in the past two years or so. His performance was truly incredible and I particularly loved the scene with his father. He played it with such candor and emotion and you truly felt both his love for Joey and his frustration with his father’s racial mindset. It was so tender and filled with love and compassion. I feel like we are losing so many great actors of this caliber.
Well, I guess that is it for now! I hope each of you are having a great start to 2022!
on writing
I’ve been working on some new stories lately. It seems the writing process works best for me if I write in images versus words. I can see my story in pictures quite clearly, so I usually do small thumbnails to pace it out and then move to drawing out larger, more detailed images.
But the creative process isn’t always so linear. Sometimes i just need to go somewhere peaceful and let my mind wander. I will scribble notes, write a simple narrative, play with prose and very often return home to make some fairly large edits. Then I start drawing again. Eventually I will print and trim out each page and move them about in my studio until the story flows just so. Sometimes I make decisions purely in regard to the visuals and other times to correct the story’s pacing. I use my well worn Blackwing or Ebony pencil and a highlighter pen for layouts that need editing.
In between all this, there is lots of coffee, long walks, chats with friends, snuggles with Boo and tidying up the utter mess I’ve made in my studio. But it works for me, somehow. :)
Launch for "The Belonging Tree"
Well, it certainly wasn’t the book event I’d imagined two years ago when I started this project. The author and I had traded emails about doing a co-signing in NYC when the book came out. Then Covid. But it’s all about making the most of a situation so luckily the nice folks at Print: A bookstore in Portland, Maine hosted a virtual launch for us! We had a really nice time and after Maryann read, I went through my creative process and showed viewers a soup to nuts presentation where I went through the various stages of making a book.
